Afghan Sikhs under threat to either convert to Islam or leave Afghanistan: Report

Sikhs living in Afghanistan may be forced to choose between converting to Sunni Islam or fleeing the country after the Taliban took over the country. Years of departure and death, spurred by both structural discrimination and an upswing in fanatical religious violence in Afghanistan, have wrecked and shattered the community, according to the International Forum For Rights and Security (IFFRAS).

Sikhs are concentrated in Kabul, with a few scattered throughout Ghazni and Nangarhar provinces. On the 5th of October, 15 to 20 terrorists stormed the Gurdwara and tied the guards up. The incident took place in Kabul's Kart-e-Parwan district. These attacks and violence against Sikhs, according to the report, are common in Afghanistan.

In the war-torn country, there were numerous anti-Sikh riots. Terrorists abducted an Afghan Sikh leader in the month of June last year. The sources provided no additional information regarding the matter.

Sikhs have lived in Afghanistan for millennia

In March 2019, another Sikh man was abducted and murdered in Kabul. Two suspects were later apprehended by Afghanistan's police. Unidentified assailants shot and killed another Sikh man in Kandahar. Sikhs have lived in Afghanistan for millennia but the Afghan government has failed to provide suitable accommodation for Sikhs or restore their homes, which were illegally occupied by powerful neighbours or warlords during the 1990s. According to IFFRAS, most Afghan Sikhs are fleeing to India following the Taliban's slaughter of Sikhs in a Gurdwara in Kabul on March 26, 2020.

Furthermore, since Sikhs do not belong to the mainstream Sunni branch of Islam, they are being forced to convert, or even killed, according to the forum. In the Afghan state and society, the Taliban's administration will never allow the variety to thrive. All of Afghanistan's minority groups, including Sikhs, will be exterminated if the strictest version of Islamic law is combined with tribal customs, according to the report.

"Afghan Sikh community is among the most resilient, peaceful and country-loving citizens"

According to Al Jazeera, Samira Hamidi, an Afghan activist stated that the Afghan Sikh community is among the most resilient, peaceful, and country-loving citizens. According to her, a large number of people have chosen to live in Afghanistan despite all the threats they face.

(Inputs from ANI)

Image: AP